Explosive-engine.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

' K. NIGOLL.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31,1906.

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No. 886,846. PATBNTED MAY 5, 1908.

- K. NIGDLL.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 31,1906.

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KONRAD NICOLL, OF MENOMONIE, WISCONSIN.

EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908'.

Application filed May 31, 1906. Serial No. 319,415.

To oll whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, KoNRAn NICOLL, a subject of the King of Norway,residing at -Menomonie, in the county of Dunn and State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive- Engines;and I do declare the following to be a full, 'clea-r, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which.

form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to explosive engines; and the object is to providean explosive engine with double-actin pistons, and several advantages,which wil be fully understood from the below specification and claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawin whichigure 1 is avertical substantially central sectional viewof -my invention looking inmobiles, but it is not my desire or intention to confine the inventionto such-use only; and while in the drawing only one cylinder, pitman andcrank is used to illustrate the new features and characteristics of myengine, it should be understood that I do not only reserve the ri ht touse a multiple crank shaft and several cylinders, but the last mentionedwell known features belong to the most effective type of my engine.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, the crank chamber 1 maybe considered as the frame of the engine. Upon said frame is mounted thecylinder 3 of the engine; and in the frame is journaled the crank-shaft4, whose crank 5 and fly wheel 2 are turned by the itman 6 pivoted at 7in the enlarged mid'd e portion 8 of the cylin-' drical piston 8, 8, 8

The cylinder may be made in one piece and integral with the frame 1, betit may preferah v be separable-at the. line 9 or any other sui ablepoint whereby the manufacturing is facilitated.

.the moment it gets into the cylinder.

10 represents space for the circulation of water to keep the cylindercool.

In Fig. 1, .11 and 11 are inlet, ports for fresh air, while 12 and 12are exhaust ports for .the foul as after explosion. to pass out andescape through the pipe 13" when driven by air pressure, as wilpresently be fully described. The asolene or other explosive used isintroduced 15 of the cylinder through the nozzles 16 and 16 from pipes17,' Which are connected with a suitable pump (not shown) 0 rated fromthe crank shaft 4. in any suitab e man ner. Said nozzles 16 and 16 beingof the same construction the view Fig- 2 illustrates either or bothofthem. In said view it will be seen that two ball-valves 18 and 19 areheld by the springs 20 and 21, which are supported by internal collars22, 23, against their res ective valve seats, and thus close in two paces the inlet of the oil. The inlet is further closed by the end 24 ofthe elongated cylindrical valve 25, shown in side view in Fig. 2, whereit will be seen that it is provided upon its cylindrical surface withspiral grooves 26, which cause the gasolene or other oil to spray oralmost atomize, as indicated by the arrows 27, and thus to mix with theair and turn into inflammable gas As the explosion takes place the valve25 is forced by the pressure of the explosion against the collar 23,whose central opening is thereby closed, said closing, together withthat of the ball valves, cut off effectively the fire from entering theumpand oil su ply. As soon as the exp osion is over t e usual suction inthe c linder, or the force of the pump already re erred to, or both thepump and the suction, cause the valves 18, 19 and 25 to open and let inthe next charge of explosive.

Turning again to Fig. 1 it will be seen that plunger having packingrings 28 near its endsand also in the enlarged middle ortion 8', andthat'the latter moves up an down'in the enlarged middle portion of thecylinder, where it performs several functions, as will appear from thefollowing description of the o eration. The piston having ascended to te upper position shown in Fig. 1, compressinto the chambers 14- and I-the piston is much in the shape of a hollow mg gas above it and drawingthe crank chamher 1 full of fresh air through port 11, an

electric' spark. (produced. by means. not

,vention is equally well shown, as they are common in explosive engines)is applied to the compressed gas, and the explosion drives the pistondownward, shutting'port 11 and compressing the air in the crank chamber,when the compressed air rushes out of the upper end of the pipe 29 andthrough the ports 30 and 12 carrying with it the foul gas from thechamber 14 and driving it out through the pipe 18. 31 is a deflector onthe top of the piston to cause the air current to spread and take withit the gas. While the piston is in this lower position fresh air rushesin through the port 11f and fills the space 15*. An explosion in thechamber 15 now drives the piston. upward, thereby closing the port 11and forcing air from the chamber 15 through the port 31, compressing itinto the chamber 32 in the upper end of the piston until the pistonreaches its upper position, when the coup pressed air in the chamber orroom 32 escapes through port 31, duct 33, ports 34 and 12, carrying withit the dead gas from the cylinder portion 15 into the exhaust pipe 13;the compressed gas in chamber 14-. isnow exploded again, and so on aslong asthe'engine is in motlon.

From the above description it will be seen that my engine has its pistonactuated in both directions by explosions, whereby, especially when twoor more cylinders and cranks are used, the shaft will be turned by soconstant pressure that a heavy fly-wheel need not be carried, and theengine is practically self-starting.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated one of the numerous forms of explosive enginesfor which my inadapted. Such forms being too many to here illustrate Ihave shown this one as an example by which the others may be understood.In this view the nozzles 16, 16 which are only partly shown, may beused, but they may also be dispensed with by letting in the explosivethrough the ports 36 and suction valves 37. In this type of engine 38represent exhaust valves normally held closed by springs 39, which arestifl'er than the springs 40 on the suction valves. The exhaust valvesare at proper times opened by a suitable mechanlsln, usually consistingof a revolving shaft with a cam acting directly or indirectly on the endof the valve-stem; and gear wheels meshed together and secured one onthe cam shaft and the other on the-shaft of the en,- gine; the gearsbeing of the required differ ence in diameter to make the cam open thevalve or valves alternately at every stroke, every other stroke, &c., asmay be desired for two cycle, four cycle or six cycle, &c., types of theen 'nes.

From t e above it will be understood that the principal features ofmyengine are equally aswell ap licable to all forms of explosiveengines. End that the explosives used, and

I the means of igniting the same, may be of any suitable kind,'now knownor hereafter to i become known; including all explosive gases, such asnatural gas, coal gas or any other ex plosive gas, or liquid or vaporwhich, mixed with air or not, will produce a gas capable of explosionand ignition by an electric spark. And I may ignite the gas by electricspark, hot tube, hot ball and any other suitable means:

Having thus described my invention, what I lclaim, and desire to secureby Letters Pate cut, is

1. In an explosion on ine, the combination of a piston cylinder, an apiston open at one end and having a laterally projecting shoulderportion forming with the cylinder an explosion chamber intermediate suchshoulder and the open end of the piston, said piston being hollow andopen from its 'open end inward to a point beyond the end of saidexplosion chamber.

2. In an explosion engine, the combination of a iston cylinder, a piston0 en at one end and aving a projecting perip eral shoulder portionforming with the cylinder an explosion chamber intermediate suchshoulder and the open end of the piston, said piston being hollow andopen from its open end inward to a point past the end of said explosionchamher, and a pitrnan connected with the piston and extending outthrough the open end thereof.

3. In an explosion engine, the combination of a casing provided with apiston cylinder portion, a crank-shaft mounted in the casing,

a piston mounted in the cylinder and provided with a hollow open endportion in the direction of the shaft and forming with the casing acompression chamber into which the 1 shaft extends, a peripheralprojecting shoulder portion or enlargement upon and intermediate theends of the piston forming an explosion chamber between such shoulder.and the open end of the piston and encircling a portion of theperipheral surface of the piston, and a pitinan extending into a portionof the piston which is encircled by said explosion chamber and into thecompression chamber portion of the casing and connected with the shaftand piston." v

4. In an explosion engine, the combinatiop of a piston cylinder, and apiston having an open end and a laterally projecting shoulder sionchamber which encircles a portion of the piston, the piston being hollowthroughout that portion which is encircled by said exlosion chamber andhaving an end wall which with the oylinder' forms an explosion chamberat the opposite end of the piston, all

of said elements being so constructed and arranged as to enable thepiston to be actuated in opposite directions by the expansion of portionforming with the cylinder an explo- 12,0

fluid in said explosion chambers-alternately;

and a pitman pivotally connected with the piston and having a laterallyreciprocating portion extending through the open end thereof.

5. In an explosion engine, the combination of a casing forming acompression chamber and piston cylinder, a hollow piston mounted in thecylinder and having an open end and a closed end, the closed end formingwith the cylinder an explosion chamber adapted to enable the piston tobe actuated in one direction; said piston having a laterally projectingenlarged'or shoulder portion forming with the cylinder an explosionchamber which encircles a portion of the pistonbetween said shoulder andthe open end ,of the piston, a shaft extending into the compressionchamber formed by the casing and the open hollow ortion of the piston,and a pitman mounted in the compression chamber and extending into thehollow portion of the piston and connected with the piston and shaftrespectively. I

6. In an explosion engine, the combination of a casing provided with acompression chamber and forming a piston cylinder havingrelatively,large central and smallend chamber portions, .a piston mounted in thecylinder and-having an open end and a closed end, and an innerwallforming a chamber in one end of the piston having an opening foradmitting and discharging air, said piston also having a projectingperipheral or shoul:

der portion forming with the cylinder'an explosion chamber which isadapted to com Inunicate with the air chamber in the closed end of thepiston when said piston is in one position and to communicate with theex plosion chamber near the open end of the pieton when said piston isin a different position, the casing being provided with a passageleading from the compression chamber adjacent to the open end of thepiston to the explosion chamber at the opposite end of the piston andwith outlet passages leading from said explosion chambers, all of saidpassages being adapted to be opened and closed as required-by thepiston, and a pitman connectedwith thepiston and adapted to be operatedthereby. V

7. In an explosion engine, the combination I ofa cylinder, and a pistonmounted in the .cylinder'and forminglm connection therewith a luralityof explosion chambers and a plura ity of compression chambers havinpassages adapted to connect each exp osion' chamber with acompression-chamber, the piston being adapted to'open and close each ofsuch passages and provide and prevent communication between therespective chambers without. the use of valves. l

8. In an ex losion enginqthe combination of a piston cy inder,and ahollow piston open at one end and having a laterally projecting enlargedor shoulder portion forming with the forming a compression 'chanibercylinder. an explosion chamber which 'encircles aperipheral portion ofthe piston between said-shoulder and the open end of the piston, andconnecting rod mechanism extending through the open end of the pistonand through and inward beyond-the portion of: the piston which isencircled by said explosion chamber and, pivotally connected.

with the piston.

9f In an explosion engine, the combination of a casing-provided with acompression chamber having an air inlet, said casing also forming aiston cylinder, a piston'rnounted in the i oylin er and forming with thecylinder an ex-- plosion chamber having an air passage com- .municatingwith the compression chamber,

said piston having an open end and hollow axial portion or cham ercommunicating with the compression chamber, and connecting rod mechanismmounted in the compression chamber and extending into the hollow axialportion of and pivotally connected with the piston. f

10. In an explosion engine; the combination of a casing forming a pistoncylinder,

and a piston having anopen end and an axial opening and forming inconnection with the a cylinder a plurality of explosion chambers adaptedto enable the piston to be actuated in opposite directions bythef'explosion or expansion of actuating fluid in said explosionchambers alternately, and a pitman pivotally connected with the pistonon themside of its axial opening and extending out through the open endof the piston in position toadmit air into the portion of the pistonwith which the pitman rod is connected fO I' -COOl.-' ing the parts.

11. In an explosion engine, the combination of a cylinder forming apiston ichambe; having relatively large centre a closed end and arelatively large central portion fitting in a transverse direction theconnectin rod extending; through the open '105 I and small end portions,ahollow piston having an open and end of, an pivot'ally connectedwiththe piston.

' 12. In an explosion engine, the combination of a casing provided witha cylinder portion forming a piston chamber having relatively largecentral and small end portions,

a hollow end ortion aho owpiston havm an openend and a closed end and arelative y large central peripheral portion said casing having orshoulder f tting in a transverse direction the enlarged central portionof the piston chamber, the closed end of the piston forming inconnection with the cylinder an explosion chamber for actuating thepiston in one direction, and the enlarged peripheral portion formingwith the cylinder a peripheral explosion chamber for actuating thepiston'in the opposite direction, said enlarged peripheral portion ofthe piston also forming in connection with the cylinder a peripheralcompression chamber adaptedto communicate with a hollow compressionchamber portion inside of the piston and with the peripheral explosionchamber respectively, an inner partition wall forming a partitionbetweenthe seas re open and closed end portions of the piston, and the casingbeing provided with a passage ada ted to connect the compression chamberat t 1e open end of the iston with the explosion chamber at the c osedend of the pi ton, the compression chambers having air inlet passa es,and the explosion chambers having outl et passages, and the piston beingadapted to open and close each of said passages as required.

Intestimony whereof I aflix n. y signature, in presence of two witnessesKONRAD NICOLL. Witnesses:

I S. SwEN'soN,

JENNIE M; BRAGKETT.

